PhD Fellow on the Marine Biodegradation of Polymers used for Aquaculture and Fisheries

Job Details

A PhD position is available at The Norwegian College of Fishery Science (NCFS), Faculty of Biosciences, Fisheries and Economics (BFE) in close collaboration with SINTEF Industry (Oslo) and SINTEF Ocean (Trondheim). The position is affiliated with the research group Harvest .
The PhD position is within marine biodegradation of polymers used for materials used aquaculture and fisheries.

The position is for a period of four years. The nominal length of the PhD programme is three years. The fourth year is distributed as 25 % each year and will consist of teaching and other duties. The objective of the position is to complete research training to the level of a doctoral degree. Admission to the PhD programme is a prerequisite for employment, and the programme period starts on commencement of the position.

The workplace is at UiT in Tromsø, although the candidate is expected to spend a proportion of their time at SINTEF Industry in Oslo and partly in Trondheim at SINTEF Ocean. The position also provides for part of the work to be done abroad to study biodegradation.You must be able to start in the position within a reasonable time after receiving the offer.

The project

The PhD project is within the SFI Dsolve financed by the Research Council of Norway. This is a multi-disciplinary project concentrated around the development and introduction of biodegradable plastics in fisheries and aquaculture. The PhD project associated with the PhD position aims to understand the degradation processes (e. g. via photodegradation, microbial degradation, temperature) of polymers (e. g., PBS, PBAT, PBSAT, PBSA, Bio-PES) which are used for biodegradable fibres, twines, nets and ropes. The research work of the candidate shall contribute to develop new models and knowledge on degradation mechanisms of biodegradable polymers under ambient environmental conditions in comparison to standard non degradable polymers which are used for conventional fibres and various types of ropes.

Furthermore, it is intended to assess the extent to which the degradation of polymers has an influence on the mechanical properties (e. g. tensile strength and abrasion) of the polymers used. The characterisation of material composition, molecular structure and their relationship to material properties will be central to the work.

The candidate will work interdisciplinary with chemists, physicist, marine biologists, specialists on economy, management and life cycle analyses (LCA), and with several stakeholders in the
project. The position shall focus on challenges within aquaculture (fish farming equipment) or fisheries.

The applicants must present a description outlining the academic basis of the PhD project. The project description shall not exceed 5 pages, literature references included. It must include a description of the topic, research question(s) and a reasoning of the choices. It should also indicate the methodologies to be used. The final project description will be developed in cooperation with the supervisor. 

Requirements

Required qualifications: 

• Master's degree or foreign equivalent in polymer chemistry, polymer physics, physical chemistry. Qualification with a master’s degree is required before commencement in the position. If you are near completion of your master’s degree, you may still apply and submit a draft version of the thesis and a statement from your supervisor or institution indicating when the degree will be obtained. You must still submit your transcripts for the master’s degree with your application.
• Applicants must document fluency of in English . Nordic applicants can document their English capabilities by attaching their high school diploma.
• Knowledge and experience in material and surface characterization (SEC, FT-IR, NMR SEM, XPS), mechanical testing and wear analysis, polymers and/or degradation of polymers in the sea and/or biofouling.

Desired qualifications: 

• Industrial experience from fisheries and/or aquaculture
• Ability to speak Norwegian or another Scandinavian language will be considered as strong merit, and will be highly weighted in the selection process

In the assessment, the emphasis is on the applicant's potential to complete a research education based on the master's thesis or equivalent, and any other scientific work. The project description will also be considered. In addition, other experience of significance for the completion of the doctoral programme may be given consideration, for example teaching qualifications. This includes teaching education, teaching experience, popularization and experience/education from other types of dissemination.

We will also emphasize motivation and personal suitability for the position. We are looking for candidates who:

• Have excellent analytical and collaboration skills as well as an ability to work both independently and in teams
• Have a positive, balanced personality who can think creatively and critically
• Have good communication and interaction with colleagues and students

Contact Information

For further information about the position, please contact Professor Roger Larsen: 

• phone: +47 77644536
• email: roger.larsen@uit.no

or Dr. Christian Karl:

• phone: +47 41383174
• email: christian.karl@sintef.no